Skate



(N9 Model.)

J. L. WHELPLEY.

SKATE.

No. 521,489. Patented June 19,1894.

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U ITED STATE PATENT OFFIC JOSEPHL. WHELPLEY, 0F BosToN, MASSACHUSETTS.

SKATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 521,489, dated'June 19, 1894.

' Application filed February 19,1894. serial No. 500.628. (r0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH L. WHELPLEY, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing in Boston, in the county of Sufiolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented an Improvement in Skates, of which the following description,in connection withthe accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

' This invention relates to an improvement in boot or shoe appliances and is herein shown as embodied in a skate, which may be either ice or roller, and has for its object to provide a more efficient and durable skate in which the operating parts are positively operated both in applying the skate to and in removing it from the foot.

The invention is herein shown as embodied in that class of skates in wh'ich'an operating lever is employed.

One feature of this invention consists in a novel construction and arrangement of the clamps, employed to grip the sole of the boot or Shoe and commonly called toe clamps, and mechanism which operates the said clamps, whereby superior results may be obtained as will be hereinafter set forth.

I My invention further consists in combination with the toe clamps and their actuating mechanism of an adjusting device, as will be described, capable of working under all conditions, and which is free from liability of derangement, rusting or freezing, and is reliable at all times to peform its duty. 0

The invention further consists in a novel combination and arrangement of the actuating lever and the parts operated by it, whereby the said lever can be closed and locked from any position into which it may have been turned in the adjustment of the skate to the boot or shoe.

' The toe clamps are made'detachable from the skate as will be described, so that they may be renewed or replaced substantially in an instant. 1

These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a skate em bodying this invention, with the parts in their closed or operative position; Fig. 2, a top or plan view of the skate shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a top or plan view of the skate showing the parts-in their open position ready to be fitted on the boot orshoe; Fig.4, a detail of the under side of the front portion of the skate to more clearly show the toe clamp actuating cam plate; Fig. 5, a sectional detail of the adjusting device, and Fig. 6, a detail in plan of the upper side of thev foot plate.

In the present instance, the invention is shown embodied in an ice skate provided with the runner a, which may be of any suitable construction and material, usually steel.

In accordance with this invention, the runner a, has firmly secured to it a foot plate a, herein represented as providedat its front end with a'dependi'ng lip or lug a adapted to engage an upright a on the said runner, and the said foot plate is shown as provided at or near its rear portion with depending ears or lugs a a, (see Figs. 1 and 4,) between which is inserted an upright lug. or portion afion the runner a, the said ears and lugs a being preferably fastened together by a screw bolt a threaded at its end and engaged by a nut a The foot plate a, in accordance with this invention is made plain and unbroken and may be either curved or flat as desired, and is provided with straight narrow slots 0, a (see Fig. 6) extended on opposite sides of and at substantially right angles to a line throughthe longitudinal center of the foot plate. The foot plate supports'toe clamps 0, a, preferably made as herein Shown, each clamp consisting of a flat portion 2 and an upright or lug 3 at its outer end, the said clamps having attached'to or forming part of them respectively, depending arms, ears or pieces a a (see Figs. 2 and 3) which pro ject downward through the slots a or in the foot plate, and are provided'at their lower ends with enlargements, heads or buttons a 0. (see Figs. 1 and at) fora purpose as will be described, the said enlargements in the present instance being shown as integral with the arms a a and struck out of the flat portions 2, which in the present instance leaves an opening a, in the same.

In the present construction, the arms a 0. are rectangular in, shape and are made substantially wide, to prevent side twisting or movement of the toe clamps on the foot plate, and the said arms co-operate in accordance with this invention, with a clamp actuating device, shown as a substantially Y- shaped plate a (see Fig. 4) provided with diverging straight slots or cam openings 1) b of substantially the same width of the arms 0. a and having in the present instance enlargements b b preferably located at the ends of the slots 1) b and made of sufficient size and suitable shape to permit the ready passage through them of the heads or enlargements 0. a, to thereby enable the toe clamps to be applied to and removed from the foot plate, which latter constitutes one part of the skate frame. The heads or enlargements a" a are of such size as to prevent their passage through the cam slots b b and of sufficient size to extend beyond the sides of the said cam slots and engage the-underside of the toe clamp operating plate 0. as represented in Fig. 4:, to thereby firmly lock the toe clamps and their operating plate to the foot plate a.

The clamp operating cam plate 0. for the best results, is made of substantially the same shape as the under surface of the foot plate, and the arms 0, a. are made of such length as to cause the said cam plate to be tightly held against the under side of the foot plate, when the heads a" a engage the said cam plate, the toe clamps at such timebeing held close to the upper surface of the foot plate, so that danger of the skate becoming inoperative by reason of snow and ice getting between the foot plate and the toe clamps on the upper surface and the cam plate on its under surface is avoided.

In the present construction, the cam plate a is provided with a longitudinal slot b (see Fig. 4) to fit over the ears a a and which permits movement of the cam plate a in a plane substantially parallel with the longi tudinal center of the skate.

The clamp operating cam plate LL20 is secured at its rear end to the foot plate by a stud or pin 0 extended through a longitudinal slot 0 in the rear portion of the foot plate, the said pin being provided with a head 0 which rests upon and slides over the upper surface of the foot plate, the stud or pin c be ing extended through a hole, in the rear end of the clamp operating plate a beyond the slot 1), and loosely through one end of an actuating lever c, the said stud or pin being preferably secured to the skate bya cotter pin 0 or other suitable device, which permits of its being removed when desired, but which will not work loose or become detached in use.

The actuating leverc has connected to it,

as willbe described, an adj usting device, pref- 1 erably of the construction herein shown and consisting of a revolving socket 0, hereinshown as tubular in form and made solid or closed at one end (see Fig. 5) and provided with a stem or projection 0 forming a journal on which the said socket revolves axially, and which in the present construction of skate is shown as extended through a hole in the heel knife 0", and loosely secured to the said heel knife by upsetting the end of the said stud or projection to form a loose rivet connection.

The tubular socket c is provided on its interior for the whole or a portion of its length, with screw threads, which are engaged by a threaded rod 0 preferably of the construction as herein shown, it being provided at its outer end with a shoulder e and with an extension or finger 0 which latter is loosely connected as by a pin or rivet c to the actuating lever c and tea finger c of the said lever extended from one side of the leverand bent over substantially at right angles to the length of the said lever as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The tubular socket c protects the threaded rod 0 from the action of water and from the weather, so that the said tubular socket is free at all times and under all conditions to be quickly and easily rotated to move the threaded rod c into and out of its socket, and thereby effect an adjustment of the heel knife when so desired.

The heel knife c is preferably made with a.

transverse slot 0 in its lower portion (see Fig. 5) to enable the said knife to be fitted over an extension d of the heel plate d, upon which extension the said heel knife is free to be moved backward and forward when the actuating lever c is operated.

The actuating lever c is designed and adapted to engage alocking device, which in the present instance is shown as a downwardly bent finger d on the end of the heel plate extension, the said finger being provided with a transverse slot cl extending for a portion of the width of the finger and provided with an enlargement represented by the dotted line in Fig. 1, and made in the lower part of the finger so as to formapocket at having an upright lug or projection (2, which acts as a lock to prevent the accidental displacement or withdrawal of the actuating lever c from its pocket, the distance between the upper side of the lug (Z5 and the upper side of the slot cl being substantially the same width and preferably allittle wider than the thickness of the actuating lever, which permits of the ready passage of the actuating lever through this space, and which lever by reason of its spring action falls into the pocket (1 and in the normal or locked condition of the lever, the latter is substantially in line with the locking ing or projection d and is prevented from being moved out of its receptacle until positively lifted by hand, to bring the lever opposite the entrance slot (1 The locking finger or device (Z is herein shown as secured to or forming part of the heel plate extension, but I do not desire to limit my invention in this respect as the said finger might be attached to other stationary parts of the skate.

The threaded rod or member 0 of the ad-' justing device is provided with the shoulder IIO actuating lever in the arc of a circle, and

in the forward movement of the adjusting rod 01, the said shoulder will engage the foot plate or other stationary part of the skate, which forms a stop for the further movementof the adjusting rod 0 when the actuating lever c is moved outward still farther, and which engagement of the shoulder 0 with the foot plate acts to render the pin 0 connecting the rode to the actuatin lever c as a fulcrum. a A I for the said actuating lever, so that on the further outward movement of the actuating lever from the full -line position shown in Fig. 3 into its dotted line position in said figure, the cam actuating plate a is positively moved through the connecting stud or pin 0, in a straight backward path or direc-. tion, that is, toward the heel of the skate, and in this backward movement of the cam operating plate, the toe clamps are positively moved outward in a substantiallystraight line, by reason of the cam' slots 19 b being moved under the enlargements or heads a a on the arms of the toe clamps, which positive movement of the toe clamps and its operating plate is also effected when the actuating lever is brought into its closed position in engagement with the locking finger but in a reverse direction.

The forward movement of the toe clamp actuating plate 0. takes place after the heel ing device practically stationary and makes the pivot or pin 0* a fulcrum for the actuating lever c for the inward movement of the said lever, which inward movementcauses the actuating lever c to force the cam plate forward or toward the toe of the skate in a substantially straight line parallel with the longitudinal center of the skate.

a By means of the enlargements b b of the cam slots in the cam actuating skate, and also by-reasonof the fact, that the stud or pin 0 can be readily removed by withdrawing the cotter pin 0 from its hole, the toe clamps may be quickly and easily removed from the skate, and a new size or pair of clamps may be substituted therefor; for by an inspection of Fig; 4, it will be seen that when the pin 0 is removed from the hole in its stud c, the lattercan be withdrawn from engagement with the foot plate a'and the cam plate a which leaves. thelatter free to be moved toward the heel of the skate or until the enlargements of the cam slots register with the heads or buttons on the arms of the toe clamps, and when in this condition, the said toe clamps may be readily removed. The slot (1. in the finger (1 extends only a portion of the width of the said finger, and the actuating lever c is thereby prevented from being forced beyond its correct closed position, so that all danger tion, Ihave shown the same as incorporated in an ice skate having a movable heel knife,

but I do not desire to limit my invention in this respect, as the, toe clamps and its operating device may be embodied in other forms of skates, as for instance, in ladies skates, wherein the heel knife is dispensed with, and

wherein the adjustable socket may be loosely vention herein shown may be briefly summed up as followsz-The toe clamps cannot get loose, twist sidewise, or pull up from the foot plate in the most severe usage, and rattling and sagging of the clamps is absolutely avoided, while exceptional strength of grip is obtained. Furthermore, the toe clamps are positively operated in opposite directions, whereby the parts cannot become clogged or bound, and perfect freedom of action is secured under all conditions, without the necessity of the operator touching any part of the skate except the actuating lever. Furthermore, the socket adjusting device being loosely riveted, can be quickly and easily revolved in either direction upon the screw rod 0 which latter works in its socket and is protected from rust and from being bound by sagging of these parts while in motion or use.

Anotherfeature of the arrangement and combination of parts herein shown is, that the adjusting devices cannot be brought into such position as will prevent the lever being closed from the most open position of the lever, thereby avoiding danger of the breaking of parts of the skate, by reason of the same becoming cramped when the lever is open, which is liableto occur in skates employing an actuating lever and known to me. p I have herein shown the invention as embodied in a skate but it may be used in other appliances of similar nature, and which are attached to the boot or shoe, such'ffor instances, skees, snow shoes, &c..

I claim- 1. In a skate, the combination of the follow ing instrumentalities, viz:-a foot plate having an unbroken surface and provided with straightslots extended substantially at right angles to the longitudinal center of the foot plate on opposite sides of said longitudinal center, toe clamps resting directly upon the ICC - unbroken surface of the foot plate arms attached to the said too clamps and extended down through the said slots, enlargements 011 said arms and a cam plate located on the under side of the foot plate and provided with inclined slots or ways having enlargements and co-operating with the said depending arms on the toe clamps, an actuating lever to move said cam plate, a heel knife, and an adjusting device loosely connected to the heel plate and to the actuating lever, substantially as described.

2. In a skate, the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz:-a foot plate provided with straight slots extended substantially at right angles to the longitudinal center of the foot plate, toe clamps resting directly upon the foot plate and provided with! arms extended down through thesaid slots, and having enlargements at their ends a cam plate provided with inclined slots or ways having enlargements and co-operating with the said depending arms on the toe clamps,

an actuating lever to move said cam plate, a

heel knife, an adjusting device loosely connected to the heel knife and to the actuating lever, and alocking device for thesaid actuating lever attached to and depending from? the heel plate, substantially as described.

3. In a skate, the combination with a foot plate provided with straight slots toe clamps resting on the upper surface of the foot plate and provided with arms having enlargements or heads, of a cam actuating plate located on i the under side of the foot plate and provided with diverging cam slots to engage the said arms and efl'ect the movement of the toe clamps and enlarged openings in the cam plate communicating with the cam slots and adapted to permit of the passage through them of the enlargements on the toe clamp arms, substantially as described.

4. In a skate, the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz:-a foot plate provided with straight, narrow slotsextending entirely through the foot plate substantially at right angles to the longitudinal center of the same, toe clamps resting directly upon the upper surface of the foot plate and provided with substantially wide other-thanround arms extending down through the said slots, enlargements on said arms, acam plate with substantially wide other than -round arms extending down through the said slots, enlargements on said arms, a cam plate in contact with the under sideof the foot plate and provided with diverging cam slots having enlargements to receive-theenlargements on the arms of the toe clamps, an actuating lever loosely connected to said cam plate, a threaded rod pivotally connected to said lever, an internally threaded socket into which said threaded rod is extended, closed at one 5 end and provided with a journal or extension upon which said socket rotates axially,

and a bearing for said journal, substantially as described.

6. In a skate, the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz:-a foot plate provided with straight, narrow slots extending entirely through the foot plate substantially at right angles to the longitudinal center of "the same, toe clamps resting directly upon the on the arms of the toe clamps, an actuating lever loosely connected to said cam plate, a threaded rod pivotally connected to said lever, an internally threaded socketinto which said threaded rod is extended, closed atone end and provided with a journal or extensionupon which said socket rotates axially, and abearing for said journal, and an enlargement on the front end of thesaid threaded rod to engage the foot plate, substantially as described.

7. In askate, the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz:-a foot plate provided with substantially straight slots extended on opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the foot plate substantially at right angles to said longitudinal center, toe clamps consisting of fiat portions 2 having uprights or lugs 3 and depending arms struck out of the flat portion and depending from substantially the longitudinal center of the flat por tion 2 of the toe clamp, the said arms being extended down through the slots in the foot plate and provided with enlargements or heads, a cam plate on the under side of the foot plate in contact with the bottom of the foot plate and provided with diverging cam slots to engage the depending arms on the toe clamps and means to operate the said cam plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed'my name to this specification in the presence of two Subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH L. WHELPLEY.

Witnesses:

J AS. H. CHURCHILL, J. MURPHY. 

